I'm not going to say where this arguement started, but it's been brought to my attention that the 350Z is in fact NOT a sports car, but a GT type car, or how someone put it "a beginners GT car" and is really in the same class as vettes, vipers, and the 911, who knew.

this is one such quote:
"I am just telling you that it is a gt car. It is a beginner gt car. real gt cars are viper, z06, 911. All are relatively heavy as the z is but are on par with hp/lb. Z will have to settle for m3 coupe, mercedes sl500, and coupes with 300-400 hp or so."

 

I voted for sports car =)

 

Id say automatics are grandtouring and manual is sports car. ive personally considerd that to be a base from wich to decided if you have the true urge to have sporty drivability or just want a nice cruiser. i mean if your automatic is lightning fast thats cool but i think it takes the sport out of driving.
SO i think its a sporty grandtourer

 

yay another pointless thread that will be derailed into an AT/MT discussion.

 

The 350Z is whatever you want it to be.

 

There is no official black and white definition for either, but I would say the 350 and 370 are both close enough to fall in either category, depending on your perception. (In stock form at least.)

 

I smell a thread ripe with potential fial.

 

^ ummm

 

I've always considered it a "GT" in the classic sense. Purists will tell you that sports cars are convertibles. Here's how i break things down (just my oppinion)

Sports car-Light weight, convertible, RWD handling over straight line speed. Examples: Pontiac Solstice, Miata, S2K, Ferrari F430 spider, Boxster

GT: Two seater (or tiny unusable back seats), powerful, not particularly light, RWD, comfortable for long road trips, but still able to handle pretty well, able to cruise at 100+MPH without being nervous, emphasis on good looks. Examples: Ferrari 599, Aston Martin V8 vantage, Corvette coupe, Toyota Supra, Mitsubishi 3000GT, 350z.

Coupe: Two door, usable back seat, does not necessarily have to be a high performance vehicle (but may well be). Examples: 335i, G35, RX-8, CLK430

Of course things can cross genre's pretty easily.

 

Who cares.

 

semantics.

 

yeah the gtr which is only auto deff is no fun to drive im sure lol....

 

Yep

 

+1 , best answer

 

Here's an interesting tidbit:

Lifted from the June 1970 issue of Car and Driver

"The people at Datsun balk at calling the 240Z a sports car. To them it's a "personal" GT car"

Just found that pretty interesting.

 

great answer....i totally agree these are the classic definitions... but i think becuase so many professional teams take those GT's and turn them into track focused race cars( because of the big motors/brakes) that lines get blurred on the streets.

 

If it has two seats it's a sports car:z,corvette,etc.Gt:gtr,mustang,etc.Convertables doesn't make the difference because they could have detachable hardtops:s2000,triumph,mg,etc.

 

+3

 

In a recent C&D article of the 10 best sports cars only 5 were rag top or lightweight.
They were the SL360, S2000, Z4, Boxster and Lotus Elise and 5 were hard tops handlng at speed and around obstacles at speed along with power at speed on the straight away was the criterior. The 350Z was among this group of Sports Cars along with Vettes, Vipers and 911s. There was a detailed outline of what a SC or how picked these cars for testing THE BEST SPORTS CAR.

The Question if its a Sports Car or a GT its hard to define because it seems to be both, the Vette is a Sports car to Me, really the GTR, C06 & ZR1s are Super SCs.

Really the definition of a pure Sports Cars like the Lotus Elise, is too harsh a car for me with an interior that is worst then the Z-car's. Really only the center dash looks plain on the Z, the Elise looks like someone stoled your radio or stripped your car's interior. I'd take a Miata because of its comfort, I guess I want a nicely appointed SC.

The Z does it for me!! GT or not.

 

i used to call it a sports car, but gt spec sounds cooler... gt ftw